My son loves idli.
Aarav: “Mummy I am hungry”.
Mummy: “Aarav what would you like to have”?
Aarav: “Idli”.
So then if I have idli batter ready then the demand can be fulfilled.
But many times there is no idli batter available. So now what to do?
This is now the time for instant rava idli.
Rava idli is very soft, easy and quick to make. It does not require any grinding or fermentation. Hence it is a good option for those who avoid fermented food and rice.
Be careful with the proportions while making the idli and the result will be a super soft and fluffy idli.
I frequently make rava idli for my son’s school lunch box. Each time I try some variations while making it – such as palak rava idli (with spinach), carrot rava idli, beetroot rava idli. They are colorful, tasty and healthy.
With the same idli batter, you can make instant rava dhokla. Add ginger chili paste to the batter and the make them in a greased dish instead of idli mold. Temper with oil, mustard seeds, cumin seeds, sesame seeds, asafoetida, and curry leaves. Pour the tempered mix on the prepared dhokla and serve them to your guests who have just come on short notice.
Enjoy making this idli any time.
Instant Rava Idli
Ingredients
- 1.25 cup semolina (sooji - use a coarse form). I have used the cup used for baking purpose.
- 1 cup plain yogurt curd
- 1 cup water
- 1/4 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp asafoetida
- salt as per taste
- oil for greasing idli mould and for applying on idlis
Instructions
- Take semolina in a bowl. (use the same cup to measure semolina, curd and water). The cup size can vary but the proportion remains the same i.e. semolina:curd:water is 1.25:1:1. I have used the cup used for measuring baking ingredients.
- Add curd, asafoetida (hing) , baking soda and salt to it.
- Now add water and mix it well to make batter. Cover and let the batter rest for 15 minutes.
- Put water to boil in the steamer. Grease the idli mould and pour a ladle full of batter into each mould.
- Place the idli mould in the steamer and cover and cook it for 8-10 minutes. Remove the stand and let it cool. Brush the top of the idlis with oil while they are cooling in the stand.
- Cool and unmould the idlis and serve them hot. They are super soft.
Looking very spongy and soft.
It’s really good for diabetic patients as well as kids like it too.Thanks for sharing
Thank you so much Nid!
I always mess up with my Rava Idli . This time I followed these proportions and they turned out real good .i am going to stick to this ratio
Hi Sushma,
Thank you so much!!
Nice idlis. I am looking for a recipe without adding curds as I don’t eat dairy products . Is there any other substitiue ? what is the role of curds
Hi Aparna,
Thank you for visiting the site and going through the recipe. To make instant vegan rava idli, use 1/2 tbsp of vinegar and 1 tsp of eno (fruit salt) for 1.5 cup of rava. Add around 2 cups of water or more if needed to adjust the consistency of batter. Add vinegar to the batter and mix well and keep aside for 10 minutes. Just before making idlis add eno to the batter and mix gently. Pour the batter to the greased idli molds and keep the mold in the steamer to steam for 8-10 minutes. The soft rava idlis will be ready.
For a longer way, for 3 cups rava soak 1 cup of urad dal for 2-3 hours. Grind the urad dal to a fine paste. Mix it with rava. Add water as (appox 3/4 cup) needed and cover and keep the batter for fermentation in warm place for around 6-8 hours. Then add salt and mix well to the batter. Now make the idlis but putting them in greased idli mold and steam them for 8-10 minutes in steamer.
Happy cooking!!
Hi Swapna thank you for this recipe..can I also add desicated coconut to the idli batter
Hi
Thank you so much for going through the recipe. I have not tried yet adding desiccated coconut to the recipe. But i think you can definitely add and add some extra curd to make it moist.
Curd helps baking powder do its job better…and faster
Idli turned out very soft.
Thank you so much Rupali!
Turned out very soft… Thank you for the recipe.
Thank you so much!!
Very nice, soft& yummy idlis.luv it
Thank you so much!!
Second item i tried from this blog is another hit. I the smell can throw you off but the taste of these with chutney taste like normal idly. Definitely a keeping recipe. Thanks again!! 🙂
Hi
Thank you so much for your kind words. Its inspires and motivates a lot!!
Worked for us great and such an easy recipe – thank you! What is the Hing used for – can I omit it? Many thanks again!
Hi
I am so glad that you all enjoyed the recipe. Hing (asafoetida) gives a good aroma, aids digestion and makes idli light. Hence it is good to use hing if possible. Thank you and happy cooking!!
Hi,
Thank you so much for sharing the wonderful recipe and I am so glad that I decided to attempt it. The idlis are absolutely perfect, very soft and taste good.
It is going to be my go to recipe for sure. Many thanks again.
Thank you so much!!
Hi,
I make suji idli in the microwave frequently and the recipe turns out well.
My question is suppose if I am having some leftover dosa batter (made from rice and urad dal), can I mix suji to that and make idlis? I that case, do we need to add curd or baking soda?
Please clarify.
Thank you so much.
Hi
Thank you so much!
Its a good idea to make idli from the left over dosa batter. Since dosa batter is fermented and is thin compared to idli batter it is a good idea to add some sooji to it to get a nice texture of the idli. Add sooji and leave the batter for some time to absorb the sooji. If you have time then leave it for couple of hours in warm place to get fermented or once the sooji is absorbed add 1/4 tsp of soda and sprinkle 1/2 tsp of lemon juice on it and mix gently and make idlis.